A Time to Love
by youreconfusingme
Summary: There will always be time to love. Mac Taylor's CSI team celebrates a Christmas Eve that they will never forget. They will always remain a family through thick and thin.


A Time to Love

"Mac! Stella!" Danny Messer boomed as he welcomed his two bosses into their abode. Danny and Lindsay Messer, CSI's for the New York Police Department Crime Laboratory, are hosting a Christmas Eve party for their closest colleagues. Since the NYPD Crime Lab pulled out the annual party's budget, the couple decided that the fun should not stop there.

Danny held out his hands to get Mac Taylor and Stella Bonasera's coats. "Montana, they're here!" he called out to his wife in the kitchen.

"Hey Mac, Stella!" said a flustered Lindsay as she placed bowls of food on the dining table. She quickly kissed their cheeks and went to pick up some toys that their daughter Lucy had left in the living room.

"Need any help, Linds?" Stella asked, smiling at the younger woman. "Yes please," she answered gratefully. Both women went to the kitchen for last-minute preparations of the dishes.

Danny came back from the coat closet and found Mac standing in their living room alone. He smiled and asked, "Where's Lucy?"

At that moment, the little Messer girl toddled from her bedroom. She looked up and found her daddy and godfather staring at her with fascination. Her little face broke into a huge smile as she squealed, "Daddy! You brought Uncle Mac home!"

Danny and Mac laughed as the latter held his arms open for a hug. Lucy ran into them miraculously without stumbling once and hugged her godfather excitedly. "I have something for you, kiddo," Mac said mischievously.

Lucy's eyes widened and she pulled out from the hug. As Mac's words dawned on her, she jumped up and down, her little dress bouncing with her. "Whassisit? Whassisit, Uncle Mac?"

"You'll have to wait until later, Luce. We'll open all our presents together." Mac winked at his goddaughter.

"Okay!" Lucy agreed easily. She held Mac's hand and pulled him to her bedroom. "I want show you drawings! Mommy said I can show you!"

Danny laughed as she watched her daughter and her boss disappear to the room. He rearranged the decorations in the living room and checked if everything was in order for the party. When all was accounted for, he poked his head into the kitchen where Lindsay and Stella were laughing at something while putting spaghetti sauce in a bowl. "Hey ladies. Need help carrying that?"

"Danny! Yes, please put this on the table," Stella said and passed the bowl of hot sauce. The doorbell rang again and Lindsay darted to the door to let more people in.

"Don! Sid!" Lindsay exclaimed as two of their co-workers entered the living room. "Rough night?"

"No, it was fine," Donald Flack. "Mac and Stella are here?"

"Yep. Stell's at the kitchen. Mac might be with Lucy in her room."

"Nice decorations, Lindsay," Sid Hammerback praised, gazing around the living room with interest. "Thanks, Sid." Lindsay blushed slightly at the affirmation from the medical examiner.

Don and Sid took a seat at the couch. Danny returned from the coat closet and chatted with his two colleagues. Meanwhile, Stella placed the last plate of food in the dining table with Lindsay at the rear, carrying sodas and wine bottles. Mac and Lucy came back from the bedroom, the latter clutching her drawings to show to everyone.

"Look what Lucy drew for us!" Mac bragged to his friends. They all crowded in to look at the little girl's drawings, with a pleased Lucy beaming at them.

The doorbell rang again and Danny went to let the guests in. Sheldon Hawkes and Adam Ross stood at the doorway, slightly wet but grinning from ear to ear.

"Hey guys!" Danny greeted. "Come on in! Everyone's in the living room."

Sheldon and Adam entered and smiled at the sight of their colleagues crowded around Lucy, still paying compliments on her drawings. "Hi everyone!" Sheldon said loudly. Everyone looked up and burst out with greetings for the newcomers.

When things settled down, they all went to the dining room table to have Christmas Eve dinner. Mac said grace, and then everyone got plates to eat. After much praise on Lindsay's cooking, loud munching, and chitchats, dinner was finished—there were no foods left on the table.

The group retreated to the living room, Adam carrying Lucy on his shoulders. By now it was half-past ten in the evening. "Who wants presents?" Stella asked her friends who were by now full with Lindsay's delicious meals.

"Me! Me!" Lucy jumped up and down gleefully with her arm raised high into the air.

"Alright, Luce! You go first," Stella smiled at the excited child. She reached down behind the sofa and pulled out her bag of presents. "This one's for you, sweetie." Stella handed her a big bag. Lucy squealed and hugged her Aunt Stella as she gripped the gift with two tiny hands. "Thank you, Aunt Stella! I love you!"

Stella laughed and the others proceeded to give out their gifts to Lucy and to each other. By the time the gift-giving ended, it was nearly midnight. Danny took out the wine bottles and handed each of his friends a wine glass. They sat in the living room. He poured out a small amount for each glass and raised his own, saying, "To the best Christmas Eve party this year had!"

Everyone laughed and toasted. Sheldon held out his glass and said, "To the best team New York has ever had."

"To us!" They chorused, grinning at each other.

This started a round of toasts. Don came next, raising his glass of wine he boomed, "To New York City, a peaceful place on Christmas Eve!" Glasses chinked and fond laughter was shared at the toast.

"To Danny and Lindsay, the ones who never let the party escape," said Adam. The couple smiled modestly and held out their glasses with everybody.

"To the life we all still have. May God prolong our good health," a jovial Sid toasted.

"To family—the people who will never let you down," a teary-eyed Lindsay said as she smiled at every face in the room.

"To love, which keeps us going in life," Stella chimed in.

"And for justice, which binds us together and gives us the motivation to solve every case that comes into our hands," Mac toasted solemnly.

Everybody was silent for a moment as they mulled over the events of the year. After what seemed like an hour, Adam suddenly stood up and said, "Thanks for the evening guys. And for the delicious dinner, Lindsay—Danny. I've got to run now. My mother is expecting a call from me any minute. Happy Christmas, guys." He winked at them as Stella and Lindsay stood up to kiss his cheeks. Danny went to get his coat. A couple of minutes after, Adam was out the door.

Not long after, Don and Sheldon stood up, said their good nights and expressed their thanks. "Merry Christmas!" They called out to the group in the living room as they ambled out to the hallway. Only Sid, the Messer couple, Mac, and Stella were left. Lucy slept soundly in Mac's arms.

Sid gazed at each of them. "I'm really grateful you consider me as family, too." He smiled. "Thank you, Mac, Stel, Danny, Lindsay. I should get going. My family is waiting up on me." His younger coworkers looked at him. "We always have dinner in the middle of the night during Christmas Eve," he explained.

They all walked him out the door. When Sid had gone, Mac went to Lucy's bedroom to place her in bed. Stella followed him and together, they tucked Lucy in with her parents watching from the doorway. Stella leaned down and kissed Lucy's forehead. Mac smiled at her.

In a few minutes, they were also at the door, bidding their hosts good night and greeting them "Merry Christmas." When they went out, Danny turned to Lindsay and commented, "I don't know why neither Mac nor Stella has kids. They'll be great parents."

"Maybe someday they'll have their own family and kids," his wife smiled. She kissed her husband and he held her.

* * *

><p>As Mac and Stella got outside the apartment building, Stella turned to go to Mac's car, which they had rode to get to the Messers. But Mac placed his hand on her arm to hold her back.<p>

"Wait a second, Stel."

She turned and gazed on him inquiringly. "Is something wrong, Mac?" She asked worriedly.

"Nothing." He smiled. How beautiful she is in the moonlight. "Let's go for a walk in Central Park."

Stella shrugged and fell into step beside Mac. The night was not as cold as the other December nights in New York. Central Park was near the Messers' apartment. Upon reaching the place, they walked around. Mac placed an arm around Stella's shoulders to keep her warm and she snuggled closer to him. They stopped in front of the Alice in Wonderland statue, all covered in snow.

The intelligent detective looked confusedly at her companion. "What's up?"

Mac said nothing. Instead, he took Stella's right arm and rolled up her numerous sleeves. Her eyebrows were knitted in bewilderment at what he was doing. Then, he took out a little blue velvet box. Mac opened it gently and inside nestled a silver bracelet with snowflakes and her initials as charms.

He placed the bracelet on Stella's snow-white arm. Mac smiled at the woman who has been his constant companion, his ever-loving and caring friend for years. She understood him and is patient with him when no one else was. _I__'__ll __do __anything __for __Stella, _he realized.

She stared at the beautiful bracelet in her arm and then to the man who had given it. Mac Taylor is her best friend, practically her soul mate. He never left her for anything, and they have a connection far deeper than the friendship that they share.

"Merry Christmas, Stel." He kissed her nose and the grazed his lips against hers for the briefest moment.

"Merry Christmas, Mac." She kissed his cheek and hugged him close to her to keep him warm.

Like everyone else in New York, they were home for Christmas, safe in each other's arms.


End file.
